Here’s another great story from the Panchatantra.
Once upon a time, a goat lived in a forest with her seven lambs. Every day, the goat used to go out in search of food while the seven little lambs stayed back at home and waited for her. Every time, before going out the goat warned her lambs to be careful and explained, “There is a bad wolf who lives in the forest. When I am away, he will try to come and eat you. You must not open the door for him. He has a gruff voice and a bushy tail. Open the door only for me and no one else.”
Soon the wolf found out about the little lambs and wanted to eat them. He started roaming around that place, looking for an opportunity. One day, while the goat was away looking for food, the wolf came to the door and knocked. The lambs asked from inside, “Who is there?” The wolf replied in his heavy, rough voice, “Your mother.” But the lambs recognized the voice and said, “You are not our mother. You have a gruff voice. You are the wolf.” The wolf went away disappointed.
The next day, the wolf thought of trying the trick again. But, this time, he swallowed a lot of butter to make his voice less gruff. Then he went and knocked at the door of the goat’s house when the goat was away. Again, the lambs inquired who it was. The wolf replied in a soft voice, “Your mother. Open the door, dears.” The lambs heard the smooth voice but were not convinced. They said, “Show us your tail.” So, the wolf let his tail in through the crack in the door. The lambs saw that it was hairy and bushy. They said, “Go away. You are not our mother. You are the wolf. Your tail is hairy.”
The wolf had to return hungry once again. But the next day, along with swallowing a lot of butter, he also tied a silken cloth around his tail. Once again, he knocked at the lambs’ door and spoke in a soft voice, “Mommy’s back. Open the door for me, dears.” The lambs again said, “Show us your tail first.” The wolf let his tail slide inside. The lambs felt it and found it smooth and soft. They did not have any doubt left so they opened the door. Immediately the wolf pounced on them and swallowed them in big gulps. But one lamb, who was taking a shower in the bathroom, was saved. The wolf left the house and satisfied with his enormous meal, he lay down under a tree near the river and went to sleep.
When the goat came back, she was filled with sorrow to find six of her lambs gone. The remaining lamb told her the whole story and both of them went out to look for the wolf. They found him in a deep sleep near the river. They also saw that some things were jumping inside the wolf’s stomach. Quietly, the goat and the lamb crept close to the wolf. They cut a slit in the wolf’s stomach and one by one rescued all the six lambs. But each time they took out a lamb, they placed a heavy stone inside the wolf’s stomach in place of the lamb so that the wolf did not wake up. When all six lambs were out of the wolf’s stomach, they stitched it up back again and hurried back to their house.
After a while, the wolf woke up and felt thirsty. He thought of going to the nearby river to have water. He stood up but his stomach felt very heavy. He could not walk properly. He wobbled up to the river but on reaching the bank, he was unable to maintain his balance and fell into the river and drowned. The goat and her lambs did not face any danger now. They lived freely and happily.
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